Welcome to the AAPS documentation

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Android APS (AAPS) is an open source app for people living with insulin-dependent diabetes. It is an artificial pancreas system (APS) which runs on Android smartphones. AAPS uses an openAPS software algorithm and aims to do what a real pancreas does: keep blood sugar levels within healthy limits by using automated insulin dosing. To use AAPS you need three compatible devices: an Android phone, a FDA/CE approved insulin pump, and a continuous glucose meter (CGM).

This documentation explains how to setup and use AAPS. You can navigate through the AAPS documentation either through the menu on the left (and the handy „Search docs“ function), or by using the index at the bottom of this page.

Overview of the AAPS documentation („The docs“)

Under „Getting Started“, the Introduction explains the general concept of what an artificial pancreas system (APS) is designed to do. It outlines the background of looping in general, why AAPS was developed, compares AAPS to other systems, and addresses safety. It gives suggestions about how to talk to your clinical team about AAPS, explains why you need to build the AAPS app yourself rather than just downloading it, and gives an overview of the typical connectivity of an AAPS system. It also addresses accessibility, and who is likely to benefit from AAPS.

Preparing for AAPS gives more detail about safety considerations, and the phones, CGMs (Continuous Glucose Monitors) and insulin pumps which are compatible with AAPS. It gives an overview of the process you will go through, and provides an approximate timeline for gaining full functionality of AAPS. This section gets you technically prepared to assemble your AAPS setup as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Now that you have a solid understanding of the process, you can start assembling your AAPS loop. The Setting up AAPS section contains step-by-step instructions to do this. It covers choosing and setting up your reporting server (Nightscout or Tidepool) so you can review and share your data, getting your computer ready for building the AAPS app, building the AAPS app and transferring the AAPS app to your phone. It also covers setting up the AAPS app using the setup Wizard, linking it with your CGM app, and either a real or virtual insulin pump, as well as linking AAPS to your reporting server. You then progress through the objectives, which will help you to optimise your settings as you unlock the full functionality of the AAPS app.

The Remote control and Following section highlights a real strength of AAPS, which is that there are a wide range of possibilities for remotely sending commands to, or simply following the data from AAPS. This is equally useful for carers who want to use AAPS for minors, and for adults with diabetes who either want to monitor their sugars (and other metrics) more conveniently than just on their phone (on a watch, in the car etc.), or wish to have significant others to also monitor the data. This section also provides guidance for using Android auto so you can view glucose levels in the car.

The subsection Where to go for help? should help direct you to the best places to go to find help depending upon your levels of experience with AAPS. This is very important so that you don’t feel left out, especially at the beginning, and so that you can get in touch with others as quickly as possible, clarify questions and solve the usual pitfalls as quickly as possible. Experience shows that a lot of people are already using AAPS successfully, but everyone has a question at some point that they couldn’t solve on their own. Due to the large number of users, the response times to questions are usually very quick, typically only a few hours. Don’t worry about asking for help, there is no such thing as a dumb question! We encourage users of any/all levels of experience to ask as many questions as they feel is necessary to help get them up and running safely.

In the subsection Glossary we have compiled a list of the acronyms (or short-term names) used throughout AAPS. For example, where to go to find out what the terms ISF or TT, stand for in in the more common (longer) terms.

Since the requirements are very different from anything you might have set up in the past, we recommend that you really follow the instructions, step-by-step the first few times you build the app, so that you have a stronger sense of how the app building process is supposed to behave when all directions are followed exactly. Please remember to take your time. Later this will go very quickly when you build the app again for a new version. That way you will have a greater chance of noticing when something doesn’t going as planned before too many steps are out of line. It is important to save the your keystore file (.jks file used to sign your app) in a safe place, so that you can always use that exact same keystore file and password each and every time you are asked to create a new updated version of AAPS, as this file is what makes sure that each new version of the app „remembers“ all the information that you have provided to it in previous versions of the app and thus ensure that the updates will go as smoothly as possible. On average, you can assume that there will be one new version and 2-3 required updates per year. This number is based on experience and may change in the future. But we do want to at least give you a general guideline on what to expect. When you are more experienced at building updated AAPS app versions all the steps that are required in building an updated app will only take 15-30 minutes, on average. However, in the beginning there can be a rather steep learning curve as these steps are not always considered intuitive by new users! So do not get frustrated if you find that it takes half a day or a whole day with some help from the community before you are finally finished with the update process. If you find that you are getting very frustrated just take a short break, and oftentimes; after a stroll around the block or two…you’ll find that you are better able to approach the problem again.

We have also compiled a list of questions and answers to most of the typical errors that are likely to occur the first few updates located within the FAQs section; as well as within „How to install AAPS?“ that provides additional information in the subsection „Troubleshooting“.

The subsection Component Setup explains how to properly integrate each of the various different separate component parts into AAPS, as well as how to set them up to work as seamlessly as possible together. All components are listed under the separate sections: CGM/FGM, xDrip Settings, Pumps, Phones, Nightscout setup, and Smartwatches. The sensor (BG) values and control of the insulin pump are particularly important information to understand. The subsection Configuration describes the best pump configurations to use in AAPS.

This is followed by a particularly important subsection AAPS Usage, in which you are slowly introduced to the full usage of what AAPS has to offer via a safe and carefully calibrated step-by-step gradual process designed to make sure that you/your child are thoroughly familiar and comfortable navigating all the different levels and menu configurations before graduating on the next phase, each commonly referred to as the next Objective, until you are have enough experience to begin using the more advanced options available within the app. These Objectives are specially designed in such a way that will gradually unlock more possibilities of AAPS and switch from Open Loop to Closed Loop.

After that there is a subsection General Hints with e.g. information on how to deal with the crossing of time zones as well as knowing what to do during the Spring Forward - Fall Back daylight saving time changes which will occur twice a year while using AAPS.

There is a subsection for the clinicians who have expressed interest in open source artificial pancreas technology such as AAPS, or for patients who want to share such information with their clinicians.

Finally, in the subsection How to help? we would like to provide you with information so that you are able to suggest small or larger changes to the documentation yourself and work together with us on the documentation. We further need support for translation of the documentation. It also very helpful for everyone if you could provide links to the corresponding documentation (or screenshots of where the links are located within the Documentation if you are not familiar with how to send a link) when answering questions from other users. That way the correct information can easily be located again should other users also be trying to find answers to the same types of questions in the future.

Interested in getting started with AAPS? Read more about AAPS in the Introduction.

SAFETY NOTICE

The safety of AAPS relies on the safety features of your hardware (phone, pump, CGM). Only use a fully functioning FDA/CE approved insulin pump and CGM. Do not use broken, modified or self-built insulin pumps or CGM receivers. Only use original consumable supplies (inserters, cannulas and insulin reservoirs) approved by the manufacturer for use with your pump and CGM. Using untested or modified supplies can cause inaccuracy and insulin dosing errors, resulting in significant risk to the user.

Do not use AAPS if you take SGLT-2 inhibitors (gliflozins), as they lower blood sugar levels. You increase the risk diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) due to reduced insulin delivery and hypoglycemia due to lowered blood sugar levels.

Disclaimer

  • All information and code described here is for informational and educational purposes only. Use Nightscout and AAPS at your own risk, and do not use the information or code to make medical decisions. Nightscout currently makes no attempt at HIPAA privacy compliance.

  • Use of code from github.com is without warranty or formal support of any kind. Please review this repository’s LICENSE for details.

  • All product and company names, trademarks, servicemarks, registered trademarks, and registered servicemarks are the property of their respective holders. Their use is for information purposes and does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

AAPS has no association with, and is not endorsed by: SOOIL, Dexcom, Accu-Chek, Roche Diabetes Care, Insulet or Medtronic.

AAPS Documentation Index

Change language

Getting started

Setting up AAPS

Remote control and following

Advanced Setting up APPS

AAPS Usage

FAQ

Glossary

How to help